A Day on the Pacific Dawn

On Tuesday 5th May 2009, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a walk around and luncheon held on board the Pacific Dawn at Wharf 8, Darling Harbour. The day started at 10.15am, when I arrived at Wharf 8 to sign in. There was a lovely atmosphere radiating from all the P&O staff, everything in the embarkation terminal was clearly marked and accessible.

At 10.45am, everyone had arrived and we were able to board the magnificent Pacific Dawn (after some security checks of course). The first thing we visited were some cabins, I was taken to see a Mini Suite on the Aloha Deck - Cabin A116 St. Tropez Suite to be exact! The cabin was spacious and had so many amenities, ranging from an iPod and iPod stand to a coffee machine that the onboard barristers can show you how to utilise! The walk-in closet and bathroom were very spacious and everything had clean lines and looked so comfortable. I was also shown a disabled Mini Suite and the space in this cabin was very generous!

Throughout the ship we were shown other cabin categories like Balcony, Inside, Obstructed Oceanview, a normal Oceanview and a Quad Share Inside cabin. All the cabins were clean and comfortable and included amenities such as a fridge, coffee machine, water, TV and phone for your use.

On board there are many dining options ranging from the Steakhouse to the Buffet and even an ice cream bar. We had lunch in the Palm Court Restaurant, which is a beautiful restaurant with wood finishing’s and large windows. The feeling in the restaurant is superb and for lunch we were served a mushroom and bacon soup that was absolutely lovely! For the main course it was a sirloin steak with potatoes and beans with a Gravy Diane sauce; I ordered mine medium rare and i have to say that the steak was cooked to absolute perfection! For dessert, it was a trilogy of mousse that made you head straight down to the gym! But it was very nice :)

I was also able to view "The Dome", the onboard nightclub, and also where the "sit down Comedy club" takes place. The comedy club is a popular theme and there are often revered acts on board such as Steady Eddy, Jimeoin and Carl Barron (though not all at once). The show does not start until 11.30pm as it is an 18+ show, but something not to be missed.

There are various bars on board to suit everyone's taste, like the Bengal Bar with, yep; you guessed it, a Bengal Tiger theme that is bright, classic and sophisticated all at the same time. Or the piano bar, (also known as the Martini Bar) where you can relax, have a martini and take in the marvellous playing of the onboard musician.

The Legends Sports Bar is another Bar option and this is where the casino is located with games such as poker, blackjack and craps all available, There is also a sit down lounge area where private functions may be arranged for groups of up to 20 people. The Legends Sports Bar has various sporting memorabilia such as the Olympic torch from the 2000 Games in Sydney to Kerrin McEvoy's jockey jersey from the 2000 Melbourne Cup win; this bar has great atmosphere!

Next year the Pacific Dawn will be undergoing a refit and the band stand on the Lido deck will be changed into a trapeze area. There are dedicated kids clubs in the 'Turtle Cove' for young ones and 'Shark Beach' for the older kids. Both kids clubs run from 9am until 10pm daily. There are many things for your little ones to do whilst on board and the kids club will help them take advantage of everything whilst also giving you some free time!

I was lucky enough to preview the first ever light show on board, which will be a new feature on all P&O ships in the future. This was a electrifying show consisting of 2 very talented dancers in special 'light suits' and a large amount of lasers creating an awesome sight and show.

I have to say that the Pacific Dawn is a beautiful ship and I was very lucky to inspect her, though i was very disappointed to have to get off the ship. I was definitely thinking of stowing away somewhere, even if it was just so i could have a little bit more Trilogy Mousse :)

- Cory Edmondson